MANILA, Philippines – Sinabi ng Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc. (BFFFI) na 33 floats ang lumahok sa flower float parade sa Panagbenga Festival.
Ayon kay Anthony de Leon, Executive Committee chair, dumoble ang bilang ng mga parade kumpara sa average na 14 hanggang 15 floats.
“This is a historic record, considering that it is not easy to come up with a float. You have to spend a lot for a float,” aniya.
Sinabi pa ni De Leon na ang mga floats na lumahok sa Panagbenga, ay hindi maglalaban-laban sa isa’t isa kundi upang ipakita ang kanilang standards, kung saan malaking bahagi ng dekorasyon ay gawa sa sariwang bulaklak.
Aniya, ang average cost sa malaking float ay nasa P500,000.
Ani Evangeline Payno, chief of staff ng Panagbenga Secretariat, karaniwang bumababa ang presyo ng mga bulaklak pagkatapos ng Valentine’s Day.
“This year, we were told that prices of flowers remained stable and high, making floats expensive. But we are glad that those who committed to participate were serious about joining the parade,” dagdag pa niya.
Mayroong non-competing entries, ito ay ang mga float mula sa lungsod ng Baguio, Department of Tourism, at dalawang Hall of Famers, ang Baguio Country Club at SM Baguio.
Ang 14 competing medium-sized floats ay pag-aari ng Bingo Plus, Commission on Elections, Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., KFC Philippines, Mang Inasal, Palawan Pawnshop and Palawan Express Pera Padala, Paragon Hotel and Suites, Procter and Gamble, Fresh N’ Famous Foods Inc. (Chowking), Unilever Phils. (Knorr), Unilever Phils. (Sunsilk), Unilever Phils. (Surf Fabric Conditioner), Unilever Phils. Inc. (Surf Powder), at Zaparita Garden.
Habang ang 13 big floats entries ay pag-aari ng Bases Conversion Development Authority and John Hay Management Corp., Binggrae, Glamorouso Urdaneta City, GMA Kapuso/Walang matigas na pulis sa matinik na missis program, Gorden Arches Corp./Mc Donalds Philippines, International Pharmaceutical Inc., Jollibee Foods Corp., National Authority for Child Care/ Regional Authority for Childcare, Nongshim, Regasco, Pangasinan Solid North Transit, SCD, at Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.
Dalawang maliit na floats ang maglalaban ngayong taon.
“We hope to have more next year, considering that we have opened the small float or cart that does not entail so much logistics.,” dagdag ni Payno. RNT/JGC
